President Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, increasing tensions bilaterally following American military units attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Rising Threats coupled with Allegations
Addressing journalists over the weekend, Trump hinted at similar military action towards the South American nation, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and led by an unwell individual involved in producing the drug and selling it to America."
Although Colombia is the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally involved in the business.
A Strained Partnership
This nation was historically a close partner of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and benefited from wide political approval in the US capital, but relations have soured markedly since Trump came to office.
Its narcotics trade is predominantly run by guerrilla factions including the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom laid down arms subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Defiant Response
In response to a query if military intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed decades ago, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he posted in a message.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will become numerous insurgents in the hills. And if they detain the nation's leader, whom a significant portion of the population holds in high esteem, they will unleash the powerful force of the nation," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
The president dedicated some years as a young man participating with the radical M-19 armed organization though it is believed to have ever engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite in 1991 subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He served as mayor of Bogotá before winning the nation's highest office.
"I pledged not to touch arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume the fight," he said.
Heightened Measures and Broad Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister reported that the president’s security detail had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, but voices spanning Colombian politics have denounced the notion of American military action on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Strains
American authorities cancelled his travel authorization subsequent to he called on US troops to ignore any illegal orders. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes on Petro, his wife and a number of key allies.
Simultaneously the US was building up its troop levels in the Caribbean and striking suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out attacks on boats off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
